Vegetable cleaner and separator



Sept. 27, 1932. G. 'J. OLNEY VEGETABLE CLEANER AND SEPARATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 w m m M m 0 NN\\ mm NQ w d @L m n I. .l Qw m; Nw av n m T L k \S Y S I: v v M I. m h I m N ATTORNEY$ Sept. 27, 1932. G. J. OLNEY VEGETABLE CLEANER AND SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 20, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 27, 1932. G. J. OLNEY VEGETABLE CLEANER AND SEPARATOR I Filed Feb. 20, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEGETABLE CLEANER AND SEPARATOR Application filed February 20, 1931. Serial No. 517,268.

This invention relates to a vegetable cleaner and separator.

The purpose of this invention is to provide avegetable cleaner and separator of improved construction and operation. While the machine herein shown is of the general type and general construction of the machine shown in my previous Patent No. 1,47 4,284,the purpose of my present invention is to provide improvements over the former machine which improvements increase the capacity, efficiency, adaptability and regularity of workof said machine.

A further purpose is to provide duplicate parts and passageways in certain parts of the machine which not only increase the capacity of the machine, but increase its efiiciency spreading the flow of the liquid-carried vegetables over a larger area during the first step of the process when heavy foreign matter is to be given an opportunity to settle out of the flowing mass. This duplication of parts is for the further purpose of more closely regulating the flow of the liquid-borne vegetables and also to enable the machine to be operated continuously by allowing the flow of the material to continue through one tray while the other tray is temporarily removed for removing the heavy foreign matter therefrom.

A further purpose is to provide not merely duplicate but enlarged hopper capacity and particularly enlarged capacity at the outlet of said hopper so that the feeding of the material outward from the hopper may be more closely regulated and particularly spread over a greater area thus giving the vegetables a more complete initial separation at the beginning of their travel through the machine.

Further purposes and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification and claims herein.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a vegetable cleaner and separator embodying my invention, certain parts of said machine being shown in horizontal section or broken away to more distinctly show the construction or operation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of said machine on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3- 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 as seen in the direction indi cated by the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, it will be seen that the machine has a main shaft 10 extending the whole length of the machine with said shaft journaled in bearings provided in upright frame members 11 at the left hand end-of the machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an upright 12 intermediate the length of the machine and upright 12 towards the right hand end of the machine. This main shaft is power-driven by means ofapulley 87 secured to the extended left hand end of the shaft. Upon the right end of said main shaft between the uprights 12 and 12 there is located the closed-sided paddle wheel or bucket wheel 13 and a circular rotating screen 14. This wheel and the screen may .be conveniently formed and mounted together upon the shaft as by having mounted upon the shaft two spaced spiders 15 and 16 which carry the truncated conical screen 14 formed of perforated or slitted sheet metal 20. The larger end of the screen is toward the right hand end of the machine. The screen material 20 within the bucket wheel 13 is imperforate or covered with an imperforate sheet of material and the sides 21 and 22 of the bucket wheel are spaced apart with paddles 23 of considerable number having a shape and arrangement clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

Below the paddle wheel 13 and the screen 14 there is located a reservoir 24 slightly wider and larger than the periphery of the said paddle wheel. This reservoir reaches out to the right under the screen 14 to receive the water dri ping from the vegetables as they ultimatel; pass to the right through said circular screen. As the machine is constructed and arranged the paddle wheel 13 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 3 so that in an obvious manner the water from the reservoir 24 will be lifted on to the right hand side of the paddle wheel and the water from the pockets 25 of said paddle wheel will flow over the upper point 27 of the wall 26 of the reservoir 24 at the said right hand of the wheel.

It will be understood that the wall 26 of the reservoir 24 is close enough to the periphery of said addle wheel to form the fourth side of eac pocket 25 and so that as each pocket graduall rises above the point 27 on the right han part of said wall 26, the water will flow over said point 27 in waves or with a surging motion into the inclined paxage 32. .1

In and abovethe upper end of this passage 32 and adjacent the paddle wheel 13 is placed the hopper 33 in which the vegetables or fruit to be cleaned and sorted are placed and from the bottom of which they are constantly can ried away by the oncoming waves of water and are carried down through the length of said passage or to the left as the parts are seen in Fig. 1 through removable settling trays and around'a curved lower end of said passage into the receiving end 42 of the main separating trough 43. Most of the new features of this machine relate to the specific construction, combination and co-operation of the said hopper, passage and trays. more detailed description thereof will be reserved until after a general description of the rest of the machine has been made. As

will be seen in Fig. 1, the said passage 32 not only slants downwardly but also slants back towards the shaft 10 and main trough 43 so that the vegetables or other articles be ing cleaned are borne along by a constant thin current of water and are led into the top of the said receiving end 42 of the main trough 43. As will be seen more particularly from an inspection of Fig. 2, this main trough for its first half 45 has its bottom 44 slant downwardly. This first half of the main trough is provided with a series of vertically arranged transversely extending spaced bafile plates 46 each beginning a short distance from the bottom of the trough and extending u wardly therein. The upper edges of sai baflle plates arecurved corresponding to the periphery of a worm or screw conveyor 48. i This worm conveyor extends lengthwise of and over the trough for practically its full length with its shaft 49 journaled at its op site ends in bearings provided in the leg hand frame 11 as seen in Flg. 2 and in a bearing 47 provided below theshaft 10 a. little ways from the intermediate upright member 12. The screw conveyor is driven b means of a ear 50 fixed on its shaft 49 being in mesh with a gear 51 on the shaft 10. This will result in the worm conveyor being rotated clockwise as seen from the screen end of the machine and so as the screw is shown will tend to convey light or floating material along the main trough towards the right and so towards the spout 59 provided near that end of the trough. The second or right hand half 52 of the trough 43 is formed as in the previous machine in two parts, its lower part being an upwardly'inclined passage 53 of limited height slanting upwardly to the outlet 54 located within the hollow center oLpaddle wheel 13 and on a level sufliciently below the inlet end 42 of the trough 43 to cause the required flow of water. The passage 53 is conveniently formed from the bottom 44 of this end of the trough, the opposite side walls of the trough and a partition 62 extending from side to side of the trough. From this outlet end 54 the water and good peas or other good vegetables carried therein fall into the hollow center of the said paddle wheel and are then conducted down the slanting inner surface of the rotating screen 14. From this screen the water is drawn from the vegetables and falls into the reservoir 24. The vegetables roll downthe inclined and rotating inner surface of the screen to its larger outside end where the vegetables are collected into a crate or other container not shown. From the beginning of the reduced passageway 53 the main height of the trough 43 is cut oil by an upright par- A tition 56 extending for the full width of the trough and reaching nearly to the normal water level in the trough. From the upper end of this partition 56 there extends to the right an upwardly sloping partition 57 extending the full transverse width of the trough which partition with the side walls of the trough form the up er part of the second or right hand end 52 o the trough 43. This upper part ofthe second half of the trough receives the light dirt and foreign matter brought along the trough by'the screw conveyor 48. The upward slope of the partition 57 aids in allowing the water to be gradually drained from this light dirt and foreign matter skimmed from the surface of the trough by the screw conveyor by the time the said light foreign matter has reached this right hand end of the screw conveyor. At this end of the screw conveyor there is provided a flat longitudinally extending and radially arranged win which in an obvious manner recurrently sweeps this separated light foreign matter laterally of the partition of platform 57 towards the outlet 58 in the forward side of the trough from where the said foreign matter passes through the spout 59 to a receptacle for such refuse.

It will be understood that the first Half of the main trough provides the place for the separation by the action of gravity of the good peas from the poor peas and other light material by having the good peas descend to the bottom of said trough and be moved along by the current of Water passing below the lower ends of the baflie plates 46. Poor, light peas and other light material will rise and pass into the spaces between the bafi'le plates where the water is almost stationary and allows an opportunity for such light peas and other material to come to the surface and to be taken therefrom and to be passed along by the screw conveyor as already mentioned.

lit will be noted that in this machine as in my previous machine the water or other liquid used to form the separating medium is used over and over again, resulting in economy of water and especially when other material than plain water is used.

Returning now to the portion of the machine including the hopper 33, settling trays and passage 32 which were only briefly mentioned when first introduced, it will be noted that in my present machine the two parallel longitudinally extending, settling trays 40 are placed in the central straight portion of the passage 32 and that a separate feed for each of these trays is provided by having the hopper at its lower level divided into two chambers 38 and 39. These chambers each have an opening 34 on the left side of said chambers as the parts are seen in plan view, Fi 1, which openings lead directly to the adjacent upper ends of the respective trays 40.

The passage 32 as already mentioned slopes towards the left as the machine is seen in Figs. 1 and 2 and toward the left as this part is seen in Fig. 4. Said passage has opposite sides 35 and 36 at the farther and near side respectively and upstanding end 17 approximately in line with the side 22 of the paddle wheel 13.

llnto the upper end of said passage, that is opposite the paddle wheel, there is placed preferably as a separate unit a rectangular box conveniently formed of sheet metal and open at its top and bottom within which. are the hopper 33 and. its two lower separate chambers 38 and 39. The hopper is formed by three walls of the sa d box, namely as the parts are seen in Fig. 1 the left hand .wall 28, the farther wall 29, the near wall 30 and a sloping partition 31 extending from the upper edge of the right hand wall 17. This sloping partition 31 extends for the full width of the box from wall 29 to wall 30 and slants downwardly to a point or angle 18 about midway the length and midway the height of said box. Midway the width of the box and about opposite the angle 18 there is located the angle 19 at the top of an inverted V-shaped partition the two sides of which partition slant downwardly each side forming one sloping wall for each of the lower hopper chambers 38 and 39. Other walls of the chamber 38 are formed by the near side 30 of said box and the left hand side 28 of the box and a vertical irregularly shaped wall 61 extending downwardly from the edge or angle 18. Similarly the other walls of the lower chamber 39 of the hopper are formed from the farther wall 29, the left hand wall 28 and a similar irregular shaped vertical wall 63 extending straight down from the angle 18.

In the near wall 30 of said box and in the lower right hand quarter thereof as the parts are located in Fig. 6 is provided a large opening 64 set directly opposite and extending above the point or edge 27 over which the water comes in waves from the paddle wheel 13.

It will be understood that the whole box just above described is held by suitable stops so that the bottom edges of its parts are a short distance above the upper surface of the bottom of the passage 32, but that the lower edge of the irregular shaped vertical walls 61 and 63 of the hopper chambers 38 and 39 extend farther to the bottom of said passage. In consequence of this construction the water entering the opening 64 and flowing across the upper end of the passage 32 can to a very slight extent wash underneath the walls 61 and 63 of the hopper passages and to a much greater extent under the lower edge of the partitions 60 and 62 of said chambers. This tends to carry away the peas or other vegetables in the said hopper chambers as the water flows down the slanting passage 32. The wall 28 of said box, being the wall on the downhill side of said hopper chambers, is at its bottom and opposite each hopper chamber provided with the outlet opening 34 which approaches in width the width of the hopper chamber towards the bottom thereof. For each outlet opening there is provided a vertically sliding door which may be adjusted to have the lower edges thereof the desired distance above the bottom of the passage 32 and thereby regulate the extent to which the water will wash the peas or other articles out from the hopper chambers into the portion of said passageway immediately therebelow. Convenient means are provided for locking each sliding door 66 at desired position as by means of anut 67 engaging the threaded shank of a bolt 68 extending through or mounted upon the said wall 28.

The extent to which the water entering the passage 32 through opening 64 will operate against the materials in the bottom of the separate hopper chambers 38 and 39 is controlled by a vertically movable gate 69 particularly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6 of the drawings. One end of said gate is pivotally mounted as at 70 between two cars 71 projecting up from the bottom of the passage close to the imperforate portion of the wall 28 and beneath the angle 19 formed by the partitions 60 and 62. The other end of said gate is preferably higher and has pivotally secured to its upper corner an upwardl extending rod 72 the upper end of whic extends to the top of the wall 17 and extends within the wall 17 to the to of said wall and there extends out throug the adjacent sloping partition 31. The upper end of said rod is screw-threaded to be engaged by a win nut 73 resting upon an over-hanging brac et 74 provided upon the outer surface of the wall 17. By properrotation of this nut in an obvious manner the end of the gate 69 therebelow will be raised or lowered and thereby to a greater or less extent the whole length of the said gate. This gate will be set so as to let about half of the water pass therebeneath to the farther hopper chamber and at the same time hold back about half to be deflected against the near hopper chamber 38.

If the gate 69 were fixed in position it would not allow for variations in the amount of total water poured into the passa e 32 caused by variations in the speed 0 the machine and so of the paddle wheel and caused by different levels that the water may be set at in the chamber at the bottom of the wheel hence the adjustability of the ate.

g As already mentioned the central portion and the greater part of the whole length of the passage 32 is occupied by two removable settling trays 4.0. These are placed side by side with the upper endv of one opposite the nearer hopper chamber 38 as seen in Fig. 1 and with the other tray opposite the farther hopper chamber 39. In each tray there are a number of transversely extending cleats 75 spaced a short distance apart and extending for the full width of each tray. The active part of each cleat extends upwardly and preferably slants slightly from the vertical towards the lower end of the tray as will appear from an ins ection of Fig. 4. As the peas or other artic es being cleaned and sorted are carried along in the stream of water through these trays the peas are easily washed over the successive slanting cleats 75 but heavy foreign matter as dirt, stones and the like settle into the area on the down-stream side of the cleats and is not carried down by the subsequently arriving peas or flow of water. As often as required these movable trays are bodily removed from the passage 32. A convenient means of taking the trays up from the passageway-is provided in the form of two over-hanging or inverted U- shaped handles 76 for each tray.

As the machine is ordinarily operated both of the trays 40 and both hopper chambers 38 and 39 will be used. The width of the two trays in this machine is preferably much greater than the width of the single tray in my previous machine. By thus greatly increasing the width of the trays the efiiciency of the preliminary cleaning operation which goes on as the peas go through these cleated trays is greatly increased. By thus greatly increasing the width of the trays the capacity of the machine is greatly increased with T the same efficiency of cleaning action or the sortingaction can be greatly improved by keeping the capacity of the machine at this improved in that more water and more peas are handled than before, but not usually double the capacity. A further advantage of the two hopper chambers 38 and 39 with their separate adjustable sliding doors is that a more accurate adjustment of the outlet opening from said hopper passages can be procured than was possible before due to the separate sliding doors and also to the double width of the openings therebeneath.

A further advantage of having two separate trays 40 is that either tray can be temporarily removed for emptying therefrom the foreign matter caught therein without having to stop the operation of the whole machine. It will be understood that when either tray is to be removed a transversely extending partition 77 in the form of a board or piece of sheet metal may be placed across the half of the passage 32 just above the upper end of the tray 40 which is to be removed. This partition may readily be temporarily held in place by sliding its opposite ends down between the closely spaced portions of a pair of brackets 78, one pair of which is on one side wall of the passage and the other pair upstands from the bottom of said passage in the middle thereof. The use of this temporary partition obviates any movement of the regular door 66 controlling the direct usual outlet peas. With this partition in place some peas will continue to come under the door 66 and pass sideways of the partition into the other half of the passage, but more peas from this chamber will be washed out by the temporarily raised level of the water about both chambers and carried out directly into the other tray.

While one tray is thus removed the other tray will continue in operation but with temporarily increased capacity so that the continuous performance of the machine as a whole will not be interfered with. It will be understood that in machines of this character the parts are proportioned and adjusted and set to have the machine 0 erate continuously and each interruption of the flow of water and the vegetables therethrough not only interferes with production during the time when the machine is actually stopped but also interferes with the regularity and efliciency of the machine as the water in the main separating trough is depleted through running out at its outlet end below the desired level so that some of the vegetables that should be pushed along by the current of ascending Water in the passage 53 may settle back against the temporary slower current and may cause trouble or temporary stoppage when the machine is put into normal operation again. The depletion of the water in the main sorting trough may also interfere with the skimming of the light foreign matter already mentioned. Again after a temporary stoppage of the feeding of water and material and when the machine is again put in full operation the arriving water and material may pass through the empty or lowered portions of the machine too fast to procure the usual sorting and cleaning action. By having two separate trays the amount of water and material coming through one tray when the other is removed for cleaning will be enough to keep the machine going properly especially if more of the water is temporarily diverted into this single tray. In this way the various disadvan-.

tages due to stoppin the regular feed of the machine are obviate In the curved portion of the passage 32 just beyond the trays there is provided an upstanding wall 79 beginning opposite the adj acent sides of the two trays and leading in a curve to the inlet end 42 of the main trough 43. This serves to keep separate the water and vegetables passing from each of the trays into said trough. Preferably there are also provided further similar shapedwalls as 80 and 81 the wall 80 beginning midway the lower edge of the inner tray and the wall 81 beginning midway the lower edge of the outer tray. These walls aid in keeping distributed the descending stream of water carrying the vegetables so that the water and vegetables will be admitted to the receiving portion 42 of the trough over a considerable area or length thereof.

On the inner or concave side of these curved Walls are fastened jetties or wings 83 extending out part way into the part of the passage opposite said wall and slantingly arranged so that the outer end of each jetty is farther down the passage. These jetties are spaced up from the bottom of the water passage so that some water can pass underneath the jetties but water above the lower edge of the jetties is diverted beyond the free end of the jetties. This construction and operation counterbalances the tendency the water and material carried thereby would naturally have of piling up on the outer side of the curved passageways and leaving the inner half or portion of the curved passageways without much water. The jetties thus aid in getting an even distribution of thematerial as it enters the receiving end or portion 42 of the main trough.

Preferably means are provided to insure that the trays 40 will be replaced in the passage 32 in the correct position, that is with the slanting cleats 75 of the trays pointing down-stream and not up-stream. A convenient way of accomplishing this is to provide the lower end of each tray with a recess or reentering slot 85 which fits about a small post 86 upstanding from the bottom of the passage 32 just above the lower end of the tray when the tray is put in the passage with the cleats 7 5 slanting down-stream. If the operator by inadvertence puts the tray into the passage in reversed position that is with the cleats pointing up-stream there will be no recess 85 at the end of the tray adj aeent the upstanding post 86 and hence the tray will not drop down into place and will not operate and thus the Workman will be given a clear indication that the tray is not properly located.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a continuously operating machine for cleaning and separating vegetables the combination of an open-topped water-operating gravity-actuated separating trough having its bottom slanting downwardly from the receiving end thereof and having the portion thereof leading towards the outlet of limited height and slanting from the bottom of the trough upwardly to an outlet below the level of the inlet, a plurality of separate inclined settling trays leading to the receiving end of said trough and having upstanding baffles therein, a separate hopper foreach of said trays, a single continuous water supply to wash the vegetables from said hoppers down through the settling trays and thereafter to operate said separating trough,

means to vary the water going to the separate hoppers and means for separately controlling the outlet of each hopper.

2. In a continuously-operating machine for cleaning and separating vegetables the combination of an open-topped water-operating gravity-actuated separating trough having its bottom slanting downwardly from the receiving end thereof and having a portion thereof leading toward the outlet of limited height and slanting from the bottom of the trough upwardly to an outlet below the level of the inlet, a plurality of separate inclined removable settling trays leading to the receiving end of said trough and having upstanding baffles therein, a separate hopper for each of said trays, a single contmuous water supply to wash the vegetables from said hoppers down through the setthng trays and thereafter to operate sald separating trough, means to vary and shut off the water at the separate hoppers and means for separately controlling and closing the outlet of each hopper whereby the outlet of vegetables and water from any hopper may be cut off and its settling tray temporarily removed and cleaned while the other hoppers and trays remain operative and supply vegetables and water for the main separating trough to continue in operation.

3. In a continuously-operating vegetable cleaner and separator, the combination of a continuously operating main separating trough where the good vegetables are separated by sinking and are carried out from the 5 trough by a continuous current ofwwater, a

plurality of separate inclined settling trays leading to the receiving end of said trough and having upstanding bafiles therein, a separate vegetable containing hopper for each tray, a single means for continuously supplying water to carry the vegetables from the hoppers down the respective trays and thereafter to operate said separating trough, means to vary the water at the separate hoppers and means for separately controlling the outlet of each hopper.

4. In a continuously-operating vegetable cleaner and separator the combination of a continuously operating main separating trough where the good vegetables are separated by sinking and are carried out from the trough by a continuous current of water, a plurality of separate inclined removable settling trays leading to the receiving end of said trough and having upstanding bafiles therein, a separate vegetable containing hopper for each tray, a single means for supplying water to carry the vegetables from the hoppers down the respective trays and thereafter to operate said separating trough, means to vary and shut oil the water at the separate hoppers and means for separately controlling and closing the outlet of each hopper whereby the outlet of vegetables and water from any hopper may be cut off and its settling tray temporarily removed and cleaned while the other hoppers and trays remain operative andsupply vegetables and water forthe main separating trough to continue in operation.

5. In a continuously-operating vegetable cleaner and separator, the combination with a continuously-operating water-using gravity-separating trough of a plurality of vegetable-containing hoppers having separate outlets therefrom, single means to supply water to the hoppers in waves to wash the vegetables therefrom and thereafter to supover by the water and means to distribute said water supply to the separate hoppers.

6. In a continuously-operating vegetable cleaner and separator, the combination with a continuously-operating water-using gravity-separating trough of a plurality of vegetable-containing hoppers having separate outlets therefrom, single continuously operating means to supply water to the hoppers in waves to wash the vegetables therefrom and thereafter to supply the water to said trough, an inclined passage leading from said hopper outlets and a separate removable settling tray for each hopper located in said passage and having upstanding bafiles adapted to catch heavy dirt and to have the vegetables Washed thereover by the water, means to distribute said water supply to the separate hoppers and separate means on each hopper to control its outlet.

7. In a vegetable cleaner and separator, the combination of a vegetable-containing hopper, means to supply water to the hopper to carry the vegetables therefrom, an inclined passage leadlng from said hopper, a removable settling tray having baflles arranged crosswise of the tra and slanting downwardly of the tray, said tray being normally located in such passage and removable therefrom to empty the settlings therefrom, the said tray havlng a slot in its bottom and a post projecting from said passage and located to project through said slot when the tray is properly placed in said passage and preventing the placing of the tray down in the passage if the tray is reversed.

8. In a vegetable cleaner and separator the combination of a source of vegetables an water carrying the vegetable therefrom, a settling section leading therefrom, a gravityoperatlng separator tank spaced at an acute angle therewith and an inclined passage leading curve from said settling section to said tank, upright,-longitudinal partitions curved similarly to said passage and dividing said passage into a plurality of channels, and upright bafiles located in said channels having their lower edges spaced from the bottom of the channels and extending from a side wall or partition of said channel part way across the channels, but slantingl arranged so as to have their free ends fart er down in said channels than their connected ends.

9. In a vegetable cleaner and se arator, the combination of a source of vegeta les and water carrying the vegetables at an acute angle therewith, a settling section leading therefrom, a gravity-operating separator tank spaced therefrom and a curved inclined passage leading from said settling section to said tank, upright, longitudinal partitions curved similarly to said passage and dividing said passage into a plurality of channels, and upright baflles located in said channels having their lower edges spaced from the bottom of the channels and extending from a. side wall or partition of said channel part Way across the channels but slantin 1y arranged so as to have their free ends arther down in said channels than their connected ends.

In witness whereof I have aflixed my signature, this 27th day of October 1930.

GEORGE J. OLNEY. 

